Astraeus Defender
A spacecraft under development for hosted reconnaissance and defense payloads and orbital mobility.
Maturity not rated
Startup · United States
Orbital Operations
HQ Long BeachFounded 20241-10 employees
Orbital Operations builds high-thrust, reusable cryogenic space vehicles that maneuver rapidly across orbital regimes. Using LH2/LOX engines with zero boil-off storage and on-orbit water-based refueling, the vehicle delivers unmatched efficiency, endurance, and rapid response in an increasingly contested space domain.
Funding1 round · $520K
- Equity raised
- $520K
- Latest
- $520KConvertible · Jan 16, 2025
| Announced | Stage | Amount | Valuation | Lead investors | Other investors | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2025 | Convertible | $520K | — | — | — | Confirmed |
- ConvertibleConfirmed$520KJan 16, 2025
Raised counts equity rounds; debt, secondary sales and grants are totaled separately. Amounts in other currencies are converted at the announcement month's average rate. A ~ marks an estimated or converted amount.
Systems2
Astraeus Flagship
A spacecraft under development for transporting satellites and payloads between orbits.
Maturity not rated
Newest unveiled first. Open a system for its milestone timeline, components and sources.
Capabilities1
| Technology | Role | Maturity | TRL | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space, launch and counterspace | Developer | — | — | classify_sectors run 37, sonnet, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Reusable cryogenic maneuvering space vehicles offering rapid response in a contested space domain. | Reported |
- Developerclassify_sectors run 37, sonnet, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Reusable cryogenic maneuvering space vehicles offering rapid response in a contested space domain.—Reported
Maturity and TRL describe this organization's work; the field-wide maturity is on each technology's page.
People2
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Benjamin Schleuniger · LinkedIn ↗ | CEO |
| Ross Doherty · LinkedIn ↗ | COO |
Hiring Observations5 observed listings
A sample of observed listings, not a total vacancy count. Availability may have changed since collection. Categories are inferred from job titles.
Sources8
Profile3
- 1
Black Flag · Supports Organization
“Develops advanced high-thrust, maneuverable vehicles for satellite defense and rapid repositioning in space, enabling fast movement and enhanced orbital”
- 2
LinkedIn · Supports Organization · employee range
“employee_range: 1-10 (profile: 2-10 employees)”
- 3
Orbital Operations · Supports Organization · name
“Orbital Operations | Rapid-Response Space Mobility”
Systems2
- 4CompanyDefender - Orbital Ops
Orbital Operations · Supports System
“Astraeus Defender (6K100) leverages the Typhon propulsion system and the Boreas cryogenic management system for in-space orbital operations With a qualified cryogenic management system and reusable high-thrust architecture, Defender supports reconnaissance, hosted payloads, and responsive orbital operations without requiring a new propulsion platform.”
- 5CompanyFlagship - Orbital Ops
Orbital Operations · Supports System
“Astraeus Flagship (10K300) extends the Astraeus platform through increased propellant capacity while retaining the same reusable propulsion and cryogenic management systems proven across the family. Designed to transport larger satellites or multiple payloads to higher-energy orbits, Flagship can return to low Earth orbit for refueling, enabling a new model of persistent, reusable space operations.”
Funding1
- 6Regulatory filingOrbital Operations Inc - SEC Form D (0002054774-25-000001)
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · Feb 3, 2025 · Supports Funding round · amount
“Total Amount Sold $ 519,500 USD”
People1
- 7OtherBlack Flag 100.2
Black Flag · Supports Organization, Role
“Orbital Operations builds high-thrust, reusable cryogenic space vehicles that maneuver rapidly across orbital regimes. Using LH2/LOX engines with zero boil-off”
Other1
- 8
Supports Job posting
“Turbomachinery Mechanical Design Engineer”
Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.